Talk to me about the 350z - BMW to 350z ?

[menousername]

Hi all

New to the Jap forum. Would really appreciate all info you can throw my way about the 350z

Had e46 3 series 330ci's back to back. Made the mistake of trading up to a 4x4 which wasnt for me, then sold that private and have hit a road block on the next car.

Have been considering then dismissing many of the newer BMWs such as the z4C as too expensive for the impracticality, the new 3 series but reading horror stories about the wheels cracking due to runflats, etc etc, and even without the cracking, the runflats are becoming a real turn off.

This could be my last impractical / sporty harrah. I am seeing what appear to be good priced 350z's out there. Never even driven one. The good prices are at about 2004 with 70k on clock.

Initial observations - obviously the impracticality, interior quality a little lower than what I may be used to, no offence, bit juicy around town where I will do most of the driving. Cant tell if they have a spare wheel or runflats? Also, the good prices are obviously fairly old cars now and could hit me in the wallet in terms of decpreciation or maintenance.

Obviously not being a proper petrolhead I would need to avoid modified examples and prob would steer clear of ex-imports too just to keep everything easy

thoughts?

reviews?

good and bad points?


please, and thanks

Edited by menousername on Tuesday 29th January 14:57

[TypeRTom]

My brother used to have an E46 330ci and has just bought a 350Z and loves it. I've also driven both, but only the 350Z for a short time. Pretty sure there are no runflats and it has a space saver. They sound lovely even with the stock exhaust. The controls are heavier than the E46, gearchange is nice and mechanical. Interior quality is lower in the 350Z but it's nice enough and wouldn't put me off buying one. I'd probably only consider GT spec ones, the extras are quite nice and it'll make it easier to sell when the time comes.

I wouldn't have thought the Z would cost any more in depreciation/maintenance than the BMW would.

[ewan221]

get over to http://www.350z-uk.com

[menousername]

TypeRTom said:

My brother used to have an E46 330ci and has just bought a 350Z and loves it. I've also driven both, but only the 350Z for a short time. Pretty sure there are no runflats and it has a space saver. They sound lovely even with the stock exhaust. The controls are heavier than the E46, gearchange is nice and mechanical. Interior quality is lower in the 350Z but it's nice enough and wouldn't put me off buying one. I'd probably only consider GT spec ones, the extras are quite nice and it'll make it easier to sell when the time comes.

I wouldn't have thought the Z would cost any more in depreciation/maintenance than the BMW would.

how did you find it in the corners / traffic

is it a hard car to drive / live with

I miss the e46 handling the most, it was pretty sublime, i thought anyway, always gave so much more pleasure than its age and cost suggested and put a smile on my face as a result

i fancy something a bit beefy and different but I am not really knowledgeable / interested in modifying things I just want a car that gives me a thrill day to day

[TypeRTom]

Hard to say, I didn't drive it for very long or push it in the corners. From the passenger seat it feels well planted in the corners and the ride is firm/sporty but isn't going to rattle your teeth out.

The only things making it hard to live with would be the fuel consumption and lack of boot space.

My brother said the 350Z forums posted above are a good source so I'd suggest having a read around on there and if you are still interested then find a local dealer to test drive one.

[350nick]

I went from a 330ci to a 350z and love the 350z. If you can cope with 2 seats and a smaller boot I'd say go for it.

My 330ci wasn't a sport but the 350z feels a lot sharper and more fun on the bends, might be less of a difference compared with a sport model though. Both cars sound great but I'd say the 350z sounds better, especially with a decent aftermarket exhaust such as a scorpion or cobra (about £350). In terms of performance there isn't a lot in it but I'd say the 350z feels quicker.

In terms of mpg I haven't found much difference, the 350z needs to be run on super unleaded but I used to run the 330ci on super anyway. I generally average 25-27mpg and averaged 33mpg on a recent 300mile round trip just driving normally. I don't do much town driving at all but wouldn't expect much difference to your previous 330ci's.

Interior was a step down but still feels a nice enough place to be. I would still take the 330 given the choice for a long motorway journey though. Mine had lovely nappa leather and they're just generally a lot quieter than 350z's.

My 350z has also been more reliable than my 330ci was, more or less faultless in the 2.5 years I've had it. BWM wasn't too bad really mind.

Overall I think you'll love it, I would try and get a GT model as they have leather, Bose and the RAY's alloys which are nice and these models seem to be easier to sell. I'm trying to hold onto mine as long as possible as I'll probably have to get something more sensible next!

[TypeRTom]

350nick said:

Overall I think you'll love it, I would try and get a GT model as they have leather, Bose and the RAY's alloys which are nice and these models seem to be easier to sell.

AFAIK, the Rays alloys were an option even on the GT models.

[drgoatboy]

TypeRTom said:

AFAIK, the Rays alloys were an option even on the GT models.

No, Rays came as standard on the later cars, options on the early GTs though


They handle nicely but are quite big and its a muscle car feel not a sports car feel.
Easy enough in traffic and very easy to live with. The thing that irritated me was the boot space, there is actually quite a lot but its a funny shape and not very deep, sounds daft but the main boot isn't deep enough to take a wine bottle standing up which is annoying if you've been to the supermarket (shall I get my coat now? )

They are great cruisers (as they should be being a GT) and the interior is pretty nice in my opinion.

Engine note is lovely!

Definitely worth a look. As others have said look at GTs to get you leather, but you'll find 80% cars are GTs anyway. Imports have different specs and options and used to be a bit cheaper not sure how much difference there is nowadays.

Edited by drgoatboy on Friday 1st February 13:24

[350nick]

Think thats right about the rays alloys, they were an extra cost option at first then later were either part of gt pack or standard.

The boot can be awkward but is great for some things. It is the height which can be a problem.

I'd also say 350z's do feel heavy but no more so than a 330ci.

[Dynamic Turtle]

menousername said:

how did you find it in the corners / traffic

is it a hard car to drive / live with

I miss the e46 handling the most, it was pretty sublime, i thought anyway, always gave so much more pleasure than its age and cost suggested and put a smile on my face as a result

i fancy something a bit beefy and different but I am not really knowledgeable / interested in modifying things I just want a car that gives me a thrill day to day

Owned a 276bhp 2005 model for 18 months:

Answering your points specifically, the manual is not a fun car to sit in traffic with so avoid it if you're a commuter - the clutch and gearbox are on the heavier side, which is part of the attraction for me personally (lots of feel coming through the 'box/pedal ec). This puts women and hairdressers off the car, which is a great thing. It's fine through the corners but remember that it's a GT car (and make sure you get a GT version), not a track weapon - the suspension is moderate rather than hard and the engine sits higher than something like an S2000. The inconveniently huge brace in the boot is there to increase rigidity, so while it's not glued to the road like an MR2 or elise, it could be called "pointy". However, I think you'll find yourself taking a wider angle more often than not and applying a little too much throttle in 2nd, drifting rather than sniping the corners :-)

Although it's Nissan it's not "cheap" to run IMHO - maybe by Porsche or BMW M standards. I promise you that you WILL drive it more enthusiastically than the beemers because the engine sounds so great. And that comes at a cost...

Otherwise, it gets a surprising amount of positive attention wherever it goes, which can't be said of many 11 year old japanese cars. Re the different versions, the later 313hp cars have slightly lower torque, so unless you're driving 8/10ths plus you're probably not going to notice a huge amount of difference between them.

I love mine and honestly struggle to think what could replace it <£10k. Maybe the 1998 M3 Coupe - owners seem to love them but many have poured thousands into upkeep. The Zed by contrast will never give you a four figure smack - just lots of little £100-200 bites!

DT

[DubZeus]

I'm looking at these too, quick question what are the tax rates for them?

[Rick_1138]

Haing just bought an 07 350z 313 i can say they are great to sit in, very easy to drive, heavier controls but once on the move its all very calm.

Sound is great (mine has a Borla full system) but standard cans are apparently good too.

Tax is £260 for pre 56 plate cars and £490 afterwards.

Fuel economy is about 24-28 depending on driving, i get about 26 on usual commute.

Servicing is a bit more regular, 9k miles or a year, but services are simple fluid changes and inspections, plugs need a change every 45k or 5 years, this is about £75 for plugs as it needs iridium ones.

Clutch is dual mass, £300 for plate £300 for flywheel, clutch should last into the 80k area with out too much fuss.

[terenceb]

Having owned an 07 313 version for the last two years [almost] I have to say that they are an excellent car.As said,shame about the road tax,but its worth it with the amount of driving pleasure available. The Z has more mechanical grip than the M3 [as proven in the Evo test back in the Sept 2012 issue] The engine has so much torque that you will find yourself using third instead of second and fourth instead of third,it really is THAT good. Very user friendly,even at the top end of its performance. Fuel consumption? used mine for several German trips last year and was able to clock around 580 miles on a tankful, steady 80/90mph for the whole trip,so not being miserly with the throttle.Love it to bits,but ,because of our soon to be realised dream relocation,mine has to make way for something with a bit more ground clearance,it'll be a big change so am test driving a Nismo Duke over the w/end,200 is quite a drop from 313!

[Kawasicki]

How fast do you drive? If you generally drive at lower speed then the Nissan is good fun, probably more fun than the BMW, at higher speeds the BMW is more sorted/capable.

Interior of the Nissan is fine, seating position seems a little high though.

[terenceb]

Kawasicki said:

How fast do you drive? If you generally drive at lower speed then the Nissan is good fun, probably more fun than the BMW, at higher speeds the BMW is more sorted/capable.

Interior of the Nissan is fine, seating position seems a little high though.

Quickly! My job demands a lot of M3 use under track conditions,I prefer the Z although have never used it in anger on a track.

[Kawasicki]

terenceb said:

Kawasicki said:

How fast do you drive? If you generally drive at lower speed then the Nissan is good fun, probably more fun than the BMW, at higher speeds the BMW is more sorted/capable.

Interior of the Nissan is fine, seating position seems a little high though.

Quickly! My job demands a lot of M3 use under track conditions,I prefer the Z although have never used it in anger on a track.

The 350Z I drove didn't feel like it was tuned for body control at speed. That's only 1 example though, so other cars could be different.

[terenceb]

Nothing like trying one or two first. Mine was originally owned by a Nissan employee,so was very well equipped from day one,was very lucky to have found it. Handling is pin sharp,very easy to 'place'in any corner.

[RiccardoG]

Guys, any feedback on the convertible version? I am looking for a droptop that is reliable, won't cost the earth and sounds nice and every time I hear one of these I remember how nice they sound!

[k9l3k]

Hi mate I had a 350z in convertible I would never buy hard top as you still only get 2 seats so makes no sense getting hardtop nicer driving experience with roof down. The cars are lovely to drive. Makes you feel your in a premium car. And go well when pushing them. Look out for clutch and fly replacement as they are like the boxster and known for being good for only 30k. So if just changed is good news. There is a good guy who does genuine parts for them alot cheaper then the dealers but cannot remember who but will be on there forum.

Car is very safe very roomy inside with a nice cabin. Good handling very safe

I now have a s2000 much more fun car . More dangerous without traction control but easy to drive. different personalities

Go for the convertible because it makes sence

Edited by k9l3k on Thursday 1st August 19:19

[LordGrover]

k9l3k said:

There is a good guy who does genuine parts for them alot cheaper then the dealers but cannot remember who but will be on there forum.

zman alex I expect. I bought lightened flywheel and clutch from him - very good.

I had 330C E46 followed by 350Z - much preferred the Nissan. I'd been a BMW devotee having a couple of E46s and E39s but the 350Z better suited me at the time. Don't expect a nimble sports coupe though, they weigh about as much as a small moon.
Get one - you won't regret it. Probably.